Aznavour has sung for presidents, popes and royalty, as well as at humanitarian events. In response to the 1988 Armenian earthquake, he founded the charitable organization Aznavour for Armenia along with his long-time friend impresario Levon Sayan. In 2009, he was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations at Geneva. On 24 August 2017, Aznavour was awarded the 2,618th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On 17 September 2018, his last concert took place in NHK Hall, Tokyo.
Charles Aznavour died on 1 October 2018.
Charles Aznavour was perhaps the best-known French music hall entertainer in the world -- renowned the world over for the bittersweet love songs he has written and sung, which seem to embody the essence of French popular song, and also for his appearances on screen in such wildly divergent fare as Shoot the Piano Player, Candy, and The Tin Drum. His status as the quintessential French popular culture icon is something of an irony for a man who identifies himself most closely with his Armenian heritage. His father was a singer and sometime-restaurateur, while his mother was an actress and part-time seamstress. His father's singing, done in a notably impassioned style, heavily influenced Aznavour's approach to singing as a boy. Although he had a voracious appetite for music, he also had a serious impediment growing up, in the form of a paralyzed vocal cord that gave his voice a raspy quality. He channeled some of his energy into theater, making both his stage and screen debuts at age nine, in 1933, in the theater piece Un bon petit diable and in the film La guerre des gosses. As an adolescent, he danced in nightclubs and sold newspapers, as well as touring with theatrical companies, and he wrote a nightclub act in partnership with Pierre Roche -- Aznavour wrote the lyrics to their songs and it was through that material that he began his singing career. Early on, he learned to overcome his fears about his vocal limitations, in part with help from singing legend Édith Piaf, for whom he worked as a chauffeur, among other capacities; with her help, he developed a style that suited his capabilities and played to his strengths and also continued writing songs in earnest, some of which were performed by Piaf.
His success came very slowly, however. Aznavour at first found some difficulty being accepted as a composer in France or anywhere else. His compositions, although considered tame by any modern standard, were regarded as too risqué for French radio and were banned from the airwaves for a decade or more, from the late '40s through the end of the 1950s; American publishers seemed equally reticent about them, as he discovered on a visit to New York in 1948. That trip did yield his first performing engagement in the city, however, at the Cafe Society Downtown in Greenwich Village. For the next decade, Aznavour made his living as a performer in second-tier clubs and middle- or bottom-of-the-bill berths on three continents. His mix of daringly original and frank love songs, coupled with a limited but very expressive singing style, left audiences somewhat bewildered at first.
His breakthrough came in 1956, during a vaudeville engagement in Casablanca, where the audience reaction was so positive that Aznavour was moved to headliner status. After this, it became easier for the singer to find better engagements in France; by 1958 he even had a recording contract. He made his screen debut that same year in a dramatic role, playing an epileptic in George Franju's La tête contre les murs. He also composed music for Alex Joff's Du rififi chez les femmes in 1958; From there, he moved on to bigger roles in better movies, including Jean Cocteau's Testament of Orpheus and Francois Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player. The latter movie turned Aznavour into a screen star in France and opened the way for his breakthrough in America. He sang at Carnegie Hall in the early '60s and followed this up in 1965 with a one-man show, The World of Charles Aznavour, at the Ambassador Hotel in New York, which drew rave notices from audiences and critics alike. By that time, the once-struggling singer had secured his first American LP release with the similarly titled album The World of Charles Aznavour on Reprise Records, the label founded and run by Frank Sinatra.
Aznavour would be the last to compare himself with those whom he regards as truly gifted vocalists, such as Sinatra and Mel Tormé, preferring to think of himself as a composer who also happens to sing. His style of performing has been compared variously to Maurice Chevalier and Sinatra and has remained enduringly popular for four decades. Almost all of Aznavour's songs deal with love and its permutations, running the gamut from upbeat, joyous pieces such as Après l'amour and J'ai perdu la tête to the dark-hued J'en déduis que je t'aime and Bon anniversaire. A teetotaler and a racing car enthusiast, Aznavour has been married three times and has four children.
La Mamma
Charles Aznavour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ils sont tous là
Dès qu'ils ont entendu ce cri
Elle va mourir, la mamma
Ils sont venus
Ils sont tous là
Même ceux du sud de l'Italie
Y a même Giorgio, le fils maudit
Tous les enfants jouent en silence
Autour du lit ou sur le carreau
Mais leurs jeux n'ont pas d'importance
C'est un peu leurs derniers cadeaux
À la mamma, a la mamma
On la réchauffe de baisers
On lui remonte ses oreillers
Elle va mourir, la mamma
Sainte Marie pleine de grâces
Dont la statue est sur la place
Bien sûr vous lui tendez les bras
En lui chantant Ave Maria
Ave Maria
Y a tant d'amour, de souvenirs
Autour de toi, toi la mamma
Y a tant de larmes et de sourires
À travers toi, toi la mamma
Et tous les hommes ont eu si chaud
Sur les chemins de grand soleil
Elle va mourir, la mamma
Qu'ils boivent frais le vin nouveau
Le bon vin de la bonne treille
Tandis que s'entassent pèle-mêle
Sur les bancs, foulards et chapeaux
C'est drôle on ne se sent pas triste
Près du grand lit et de l'affection
Y a même un oncle guitariste
Qui joue en faisant attention
À la mamma, a la mamma
Et les femmes se souvenant
Des chansons tristes des veillées
Elle va mourir, la mamma
Tout doucement, les yeux fermés
Chantent comme on berce un enfant
Après une bonne journée
Pour qu'il sourie en s'endormant
Ave Maria
Y a tant d'amour, de souvenirs
Autour de toi, toi la mamma
Y a tant de larmes et de sourires
A travers toi, toi la mamma
Que jamais, jamais, jamais
Tu nous quitteras
The verses of "La Mamma" describe the scene around a dying mother or grandmother, with her family and friends gathered around her. The first verse explains that they all came rushing to her side as soon as they heard that she was dying, even people from far away. The second verse describes how the children are playing quietly, but their games don't matter much in the face of their loved one's approaching death. In the chorus, the characters offer up prayers to the Virgin Mary, asking for her help in taking the dying woman into her arms. The third verse describes how the men are drinking wine and giving thanks for the warmth of the sun on their journey, while the fourth verse portrays the women singing softly, trying to comfort both the dying woman and themselves. The final repetition of the chorus confirms that, no matter how much love, memories, tears, or smiles are wrapped up with the dying woman, they will never really lose her.
The song is powerful in its depiction of how the traditions and attitudes of a Southern Italian family surround the dying of a beloved elder, showing different aspects of the characters' grief, hope, and acceptance. The use of the "Ave Maria" hymn adds a transcendent dimension to the lyrics, while the everyday details of the relatives' gifts, games, and refreshments bring the scene to life for the listener. Overall, the song illuminates how culture informs and colors people's grieving process.
Line by Line Meaning
Ils sont venus
Family and friends have come
Ils sont tous là
Everyone is here
Dès qu'ils ont entendu ce cri
When they heard the news
Elle va mourir, la mamma
That the mother is dying
Même ceux du sud de l'Italie
Even those from southern Italy
Y a même Giorgio, le fils maudit
Even the cursed son Giorgio
Avec des présents plein les bras
With gifts in their arms
Tous les enfants jouent en silence
The children play quietly
Autour du lit ou sur le carreau
Around the bed or on the floor
Mais leurs jeux n'ont pas d'importance
But their games do not matter
C'est un peu leurs derniers cadeaux
It is a bit of their last gifts
On la réchauffe de baisers
We warm her with kisses
On lui remonte ses oreillers
We adjust her pillows
Sainte Marie pleine de grâces
Holy Mary full of grace
Dont la statue est sur la place
Whose statue is in the square
Bien sûr vous lui tendez les bras
Of course you open your arms to her
En lui chantant Ave Maria
Singing Ave Maria to her
Y a tant d'amour, de souvenirs
There is so much love and memories
Autour de toi, toi la mamma
Around you, mother
Y a tant de larmes et de sourires
There are so many tears and smiles
À travers toi, toi la mamma
Through you, mother
Et tous les hommes ont eu si chaud
All the men feel so warm
Sur les chemins de grand soleil
On the paths of bright sun
Qu'ils boivent frais le vin nouveau
Drinking the fresh new wine
Le bon vin de la bonne treille
The good wine from the good vineyard
Tandis que s'entassent pèle-mêle
While they pile up together
Sur les bancs, foulards et chapeaux
On benches, scarfs and hats
C'est drôle on ne se sent pas triste
It is funny how one does not feel sad
Près du grand lit et de l'affection
Nearby the big bed and the affection
Y a même un oncle guitariste
There is even a guitar-playing uncle
Qui joue en faisant attention
Who plays while paying attention
Et les femmes se souvenant
And the women remembering
Des chansons tristes des veillées
The sad songs of the evenings
Tout doucement, les yeux fermés
Gently, with closed eyes
Chantent comme on berce un enfant
Singing as if rocking a child to sleep
Après une bonne journée
After a good day
Pour qu'il sourie en s'endormant
So that he smiles while falling asleep
Que jamais, jamais, jamais
That never, never, never
Tu nous quitteras
Will you leave us
Lyrics © EDITIONS MUSICALES DJANIK
Written by: Charles Aznavour, Robert Gall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Ineslemrini
Ils sont venus, ils sont tous là
Dès qu'ils ont entendu ce cri
Elle va mourir, la mamma
Ils sont venus, ils sont tous là
Même ceux du sud de l'Italie
Y a même Giorgio, le fils maudit
Avec des présents plein les bras
Tous les enfants jouent en silence
Autour du lit sur le carreau
Mais leurs jeux n'ont pas d'importance
C'est un peu leurs derniers cadeaux
À la mamma
La mamma
On la réchauffe de baisers
On lui remonte ses oreillers
Elle va mourir, la mamma
Sainte Marie pleine de grâces
Dont la statue est sur la place
Bien sûr vous lui tendez les bras
En lui chantant Ave Maria
(Ave Maria)
Y a tant d'amour, de souvenirs
Autour de toi, toi la mamma
Y a tant de larmes et de sourires
À travers toi, toi la mamma
Et tous les hommes ont eu si chaud
Sur les chemins de grand soleil
Elle va mourir, la mamma
Qu'ils boivent frais le vin nouveau
Le bon vin de la bonne treille
Tandis que s'entassent pêle-mêle
Sur les bancs, foulards et chapeaux
C'est drôle on ne se sent pas triste
Près du grand lit, de l'affection
Y a même un oncle guitariste qui joue
Qui joue en faisant attention
À la mamma
À la mamma
Et les femmes se souvenant
Des chansons tristes des veillées
Elle va mourir, la mamma
Tout doucement, les yeux fermés
Chantent comme on berce un enfant
Après une bonne journée
Pour qu'il sourie en s'endormant
Ave Maria
Y a tant d'amour, tant de souvenirs
Tout autour de toi, toi la mamma
Tant de larmes et de sourires
À travers toi, toi la mamma
Que jamais, jamais, jamais
Tu ne nous quitteras
@mikalambo8092
A chaque fois que je l’écoute mes yeux se remplissent de larmes en redoutant ce jour. Que Dieu préserve nos mamas.
@josephlouis6603
Quelle voix ! J'adore cet homme pour ses chansons tellement humaines. Quelle chance avons -nous eue d'avoir cet homme pour nous chez les francophones du monde entier. Charles Aznavour, nous ne t'oublierons jamais. Merci à la France pour cet enfant venu d'ailleurs mais que vous avez donné au monde entier.
@mouloudziani5746
Repose en paix Charles personne ne t oubliera un maître une légende merci
@louloucalil5412
Aznavour unique au monde ❤️❤️❤️❤️🎶🎶
@anne-mariecaron4783
Je regrette tellement de ne pas avoir vu son dernier spectacle à Montréal. Avoir su...en même temps il semblait immortel, il n'avait pas besoin de se "réinventer", il a transcendé les époques, les cultures
@samrabinovici1140
Una cancion hermosa......no se si conces la version en espanol de Eduardo Rodrigo...tambien hermosa y una voz extraordinaria.....
@juliqp9918
Moi aussi
@anthonydoriand
Si t’aimes ta maman mets un like ❤️
@abderrahmanebenaoudia5978
J aime ma maman j ai une seule MERE que j adore
@blondeaubilly2032
Ba oui ,,,, qui aime pas la mama le paradis se trouve sous ses pieds